


Of Faith and Friendship

by angelboygabriel



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Carentan, Gen, Light Angst, Religion, lowkey existentialism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 08:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelboygabriel/pseuds/angelboygabriel
Summary: A conversation between four friends about what they believe.





	Of Faith and Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired from an old discussion and Reign of Love by Coldplay.

 

It was a calm afternoon filled with simple talk and camaraderie, and somehow the conversation had turned towards religion.

Webster, Liebgott, Luz, and Malarkey were all sharing a smoke together and speaking of trivial, huge, minuscule, universal things like God and death and spirit and hope.

“Christian. Just Christian.” Luz commented as he blew out a ring of smoke. “You don't gotta read or follow the Bible to believe in God. Believe in that eternal damnation bullshit, but I also think that the big guy in the sky forgives all instead of all the people dictating ‘this is wrong! You go to hell!’ Even with queers and shit like that, that's not for us to decide.” He declared, handing the cigarette to Malarkey beside him.

“M’ a bit more structured. Catholic” he hummed before taking a drag. “I like the church set up and wine to water and all that, y’know? Skip’s the same. We both like ta pray the rosary when it feels like hell. Gives me hope.” Malarkey said before passing the cigarette on to Joe.

“My whole family is Jewish. Ma and Pa, especially, and I happen to like the religion.” He sucked in some more smoke and exhaled in a murky puff that disappeared in the Carentan air. “Sabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, the works, we celebrate it and… I dunno, we felt connected or some shit. I feel connected.” he said, the Lucky Strike dangling from his lips as he contemplated. “Ain't gonna have a menorah this year.” he murmured himself and Luz chuckled.

“Aw, sure you will! I'll get Toye to swipe a pack of smokes and you can light one up each day. Your own goddamn wartime menorah and gift, all in one.” he said with a nod and Joe grinned.

“Bullet dreidels.” he added and Malarkey snorted.

“Sure, Liebgott. Bullet dreidels.” he affirmed as the cigarette was passed to Webster.

“What about you, Web? Whaddaya believe in?” Malarkey questioned as Webster resolutely took a drag.

“I honestly don't believe in that stuff.” he admitted and the guys nodded.

“Atheist?” George asked, and Web shrugged.

“I was raised in a very strict Baptist household. High society, had to look good and be perfect little church boys, all that was stuff my family was for. I hated it, and what I've learned at Harvard only affirmed what I don't believe I suppose. Reason over religion is something I stand for.” he explained. “Not to say that I don't respect it. I think religion is fascinating, and I dated a nice Catholic girl in highschool who I'd go to church with on occasion. But the war… I can't ever believe. How could a God let this happen? This fucking hell on Earth. My faith is in mankind. It's in all of you.” he admitted and the three others seemed lost in thought for a moment.

The wind blew, and with it, an odd sort of conciousness and community ruffled the four men’s hair from where they sat against a crumbling building.

“And so good will and trust in man befell upon Webster, and the ideology in the ways in which He works befell the rest of us all.” Luz said with an unusually serious tone as he slowly opened his palms in the direction of the sky. He looked up to where his hands extended and seemed to scrutinize whatever was up there, squinting as the clouds drifted by.

“Looking for something?” Malarkey inquired while they watched him, and Luz just shook his head.

“I never do see anything. It's like a metaphor. I don't see Him, but I kinda know He is there, and it's like how I haven't seen Hitler but I know that sonofabitch is doing awful shit.” he commented and Liebgott made a face.

“Did you just compare God and Hitler?” he asked and George half nodded.

“It's kinda fitting.” Webster said with a frown.

“It is.” Malarkey agrees.

Joe Toye and Bill Guarnere’s loud, brash laughter entwines together and carries across the street, drifting to them and they all look.

The moment is broken and they stand up wordlessly, walking shoulder to shoulder to go rejoin the others. 


End file.
